Lew Ayres built a successful Hollywood career but was willing to risk it to stand by his convictions. Author Lesley L. Coffin joins me to discuss his movies, his conscientious objection during WWII, and the complexities of celebrity & public judgment. #LewAyres open.spotify.com/episode/415h...

The Myth of the Hollywood War Hero: Lew Ayres, Conscience, and World War II with Lesley Coffin

Say It With History: Conversations That Shaped The Past with Holley Snaith · Episode

open.spotify.com

Gram Parsons took traditional country style and turned it inside out. His now-iconic Nudie suit, embroidered with marijuana leaves, pills, poppies, and flames, blended Nashville rhinestone glamour with the counterculture he brought into country music. #GramParsons #Music #NudieSuit

I am happy to share my interview with Nashville Voyager! We talked about where my love of history began, how rejection has shaped my path, and why the time to pursue what is on your heart is now. I hope you give its read! 💙way. nashvillevoyager.com/interview/ch...

Some of the darkest chapters of World War II remain among the least discussed. I speak with historian Jenny Chan about Unit 731, wartime atrocities in the Pacific, media narratives, and the role the American government played in the aftermath of the war. 🎙️Listen: open.spotify.com/episode/4e8T...

Ninety years ago, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers danced their way through Swing Time. ✨ My latest explores the magic behind the 1936 classic—from Fred and Ginger’s chemistry and George Stevens’ direction to its unforgettable music, dance, and more complicated legacy. medium.com/counterarts/...

‘Swing Time’: The Musical Comedy That Became an Astaire-Rogers Masterpiece

How inspired direction, unforgettable music, and extraordinary dance created one of Hollywood’s most enduring films.

medium.com

Joe DiMaggio was more than a baseball icon. In this episode, I speak with author and researcher Kelly Lacroix about Joe’s rise to fame, his relationship with Marilyn Monroe, the myths surrounding his life, and the man behind the legend. Listen: open.spotify.com/episode/23HJ... #SayItWithHistory

Say It With History is now on YouTube! 🎙️ You can listen to episodes of the podcast on my new channel, @holleysnaithhistorian. I may add more history-related content in the future, too. Another way to learn and explore the past! youtube.com/@holleysnait... #SayItWithHistory #HistoryPodcast #History

Thrilled to share that I’ve joined the First Ladies Association for Research and Education (FLARE) as a Lifetime Member! My work on Eleanor Roosevelt and Pat Nixon sparked a lasting interest in the lives and legacies of America’s First Ladies, and I’m excited to continue that work with FLARE. 💜

I speak with historian Samantha Snyder about Elizabeth Willing Powel’s influence during the George Washington years, the role of women in shaping political culture, and the story behind Samantha’s forthcoming book, A Remarkable Woman. ✨ 🎙️Listen: open.spotify.com/episode/4VHh...

My latest for PBS American Masters explores how Provincetown became a haven for LGBTQ+ Americans and its connection to poet Mary Oliver. 📖 Read: www.pbs.org/wnet/america... Watch MARY OLIVER: SAVED BY THE BEAUTY OF THE WORLD August 25 on PBS. 📺 #AmericanMasters #MaryOliver

How Provincetown became a haven for LGBTQ+ Americans | American Masters | PBS

Discover how Provincetown became one of America’s most celebrated artistic communities and a lasting haven for the LGBTQ+ community.

pbs.org

Lauren Bacall became a star at just 19, but staying one for seven decades required more than talent. I speak with author and film historian Anthony Uzarowski to explore Bacall's remarkable career and his book Lauren Bacall: Queen of Cool. ✨ 🎙️Listen Here: open.spotify.com/episode/4vwB...

Eleanor Roosevelt with Winston Churchill at Val-Kill in 1943. During Churchill’s visit to the quaint cottage in Hyde Park, NY, FDR and the prime minister stepped away beneath a tree on the grounds for a private wartime discussion. This was a remarkable moment at the place Eleanor called home.

Family history is about more than names and dates. ✉️ In this episode, I speak with author Ben Robinson about Finding Charlotte, preserving overlooked stories, and the power of family history to connect past and present. 🎙️Listen: open.spotify.com/episode/3DJK... #SayItWithHistory #FamilyHistory

Some of the most influential women in American history worked behind the scenes. I speak with Kathryn Smith about Missy LeHand, Martha Washington, and the women who helped shape American history from behind the scenes. 🎙️Listen: open.spotify.com/episode/5re3... #SayItWithHistory #HistoryPodcast

I am working on an article celebrating the 90th anniversary of "Swing Time," and I love this photo of the "Waltz in Swing Time" routine. It shows the genuine joy Fred and Ginger found in working with one another, even after six films in just three years! 🎥 #SwingTime #FredandGinger #ClassicHollywood

When Franklin D. Roosevelt first came to Warm Springs in 1924, he was searching for hope. What he found inspired him to create a place where others living with polio could pursue rehabilitation. Here he is pictured after a swim at the rehabilitation pools he had constructed. #FDR #WarmSprings

Palm Springs and golf have long been intertwined, and few places tell that story better than O'Donnell Golf Club. I speak with Alexandra Phillips, General Manager of O'Donnell, about the club's history, its role in Palm Springs, and more. 🌴 Listen: open.spotify.com/episode/1srb...

Honored to have my latest article published in East Wing Magazine! ✨ In "How I Discovered the Real Eleanor Roosevelt Through Her Photographs at Val-Kill," I reflect on restoring Eleanor Roosevelt's photographs & how I discovered the real Eleanor. www.eastwingmagazine.com/p/how-i-disc...

How I Discovered the Real Eleanor Roosevelt Through Her Photographs at Val-Kill

Guest Column by Holley Snaith

eastwingmagazine.com

Books have the power to shape culture and challenge censorship. 📚 In this episode, I speak with author Gayle Feldman about Nothing Random, Bennett Cerf, Random House, the Ulysses censorship case, and the power of free expression. 🎙️Listen: open.spotify.com/episode/7vlU...

Remembering Ginger Rogers on her birthday. Researching her life and career through articles I've written and podcast conversations has been a true joy. The more I learned, the more I admire her. She was also a gifted and dedicated athlete, clearly in her element on the tennis court! #GingerRogers

The American Revolution was far more global than many of us realize. I speak with writer Derek Baxter about The Forgotten World War, foreign alliances, Cuba’s role in Yorktown, and why the Revolutionary War should be understood as a world conflict. 🇺🇸 Listen Here: open.spotify.com/episode/1GSo...

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in “Roberta” (1935). Amongst the many great Astaire-Rogers films, this has always been amongst my favorites. I particularly love the casual, joyful tap number they do in this scene, “I’ll Be Hard to Handle.”

It was a privilege to write about #WarmSprings for @mainlymuseums.bsky.social, the place where my love for public history began. It was where #FDR found renewed purpose after polio and where thousands of patients found hope and community. I hope this inspires others to visit this remarkable place. 💙

Mainly Museums@mainlymuseums.bsky.social · 2mo ago

It’s not often you can go for a swim when you visit a museum… @holleysnaith.bsky.social #museums #museumfromhome #museumlover #FDR mainlymuseums.com/post/1459/wa...

Most people remember Minnie Pearl as the woman in the flowered hat with the price tag. But behind the character was Sarah Cannon—a performer who helped shape country music and Nashville. Mary Ellen Pethel joins me to explore her remarkable legacy. 🪕 🎙️Listen: open.spotify.com/episode/2B5g...

Most people know Vincent van Gogh. Far fewer know Jo van Gogh-Bonger, who helped ensure his work would be remembered. Joan Fernandez joins Say It With History to discuss Jo's remarkable role in shaping Vincent's legacy. 🎨 🎙️Listen: open.spotify.com/episode/2OPq... #JonaGogh #WomensHistory

One thing I've learned as a historian is that even when you think you know a subject, there's always more to discover. The writing process may have begun, but the research never really ends—and that's part of the joy of it. 📚 www.holleysnaith.com #Historian #Writer #Research

A photograph, a quilt, furniture, or a household object can reveal stories that history books alone cannot tell. Historian Laura Smith joins discusses the power of material culture and how learning to "read" objects can deepen our understanding of the past. Listen: open.spotify.com/episode/2L7j...

As former presidents and first ladies come together for the Obama Presidential Center opening, I'm reminded of this 1991 photograph from the opening of the Reagan Library featuring Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, Rosalynn Carter, and Betty Ford. #FirstLadies #Civility

I recently joined #PreserveCast to discuss helping restore and digitize Eleanor Roosevelt's personal photograph collection at Val-Kill. We talked archives, preservation, missing photographs, and the creation of the Eleanor's Pictures website. Listen here: open.spotify.com/episode/6Xkq...

At age 10, Wilhelmina inherited the Dutch throne. During World War II, she became a symbol of resistance and hope for her occupied nation. Read my latest article for History in Progress: medium.com/history-in-p... #History #WorldWarII #DutchHistory #WomensHistory

Queen Wilhelmina: The Dutch Monarch Who Led the Netherlands Through Two World Wars

From child monarch to a symbol of Dutch resilience.

medium.com